Bears finish off sweep of Aggies

Updated 11:52 pm, Sunday, April 22, 2012

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Baylor's Cal Towey tags out Texas A&M's Jace Statum in a rundown between home and third base in the sixth inning of an NCAA college baseball game, Sunday, April 22, 2012, in Waco, Texas. Baylor won 7-5 and swept the three-game series.

Baylor's Cal Towey tags out Texas A&M's Jace Statum in a rundown between home and third base in the sixth inning of an NCAA college baseball game, Sunday, April 22, 2012, in Waco, Texas. Baylor won 7-5 and

WACO — Fourteen pitches in the first inning Sunday personified Baylor's record-setting winning streak, one that reached 24 games and had fans waving a few brooms and chanting “Big 12” on a breezy, beautiful afternoon at Baylor Ballpark.

“That's as good as an at-bat as you can have,” Bears coach Steve Smith said of Josh Ludy's prime example of perseverance, capped by a two-run home run on its 14th pitch.

“I don't know if I've ever fouled off that many pitches,” said Ludy, admitting to a touch of fatigue off a lone at-bat in the Bears' 7-5 victory over Texas A&M. “My mouth was pretty dry by the time I came back to the dugout.”

Southeastern Conference-bound A&M (28-12, 9-6) left Waco for the final scheduled time with a collective dry mouth after the Bears won all three games over the weekend.

“It's nice to send 'em off to the SEC with a sweeping,” Baylor left fielder Dan Evatt said, smiling.

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Baylor (35-7, 18-0), in capturing the Big 12 record for consecutive wins along the way, defeated A&M 5-3 on Friday in College Station and 1-0 on Saturday in Waco.

“They're playing with house money right now, and there's a whole lot of belief over there,” A&M coach Rob Childress said of the Bears, who are running away with the Big 12 title. “Every move the coaches make works, and every guy they run out there does his job.”

Evatt played that role in the sixth inning, after the Bears fell behind 5-4. He singled up the middle off of A&M reliever Parker Ray, scoring two and lifting the Bears to their final lead. Baylor has won 11 of its last 15 games by one or two runs.

“It woke us up,” Smith said of the Bears suddenly dealing with the 5-4 deficit in the sixth. “I think we were fatigued, our bats were slow, and maybe it just took that jolt.”

Ryan Smith (2-0), a freshman and the coach's son, earned his first Big 12 victory by tossing 22/3 scoreless innings late in the game. Max Garner became the first Baylor pitcher in history to save all three games of a Big 12 series. The Aggies have lost five straight games for the first time in two years. As for the Bears' extraordinary winning streak?

“You can't explain it,” Evatt said. “I've been scratching my head trying to explain that one to myself, and I haven't come up with a great answer. It's just staying in the moment, really.”